The present invention relates to the field of animal care, and, more particularly, to devices for sheltering and protecting small animals from exposure to the outdoor elements.
Recent years have seen a proliferation of different sizes and shapes of doghouses, shelters, kennels, and cages. Most have been designed and marketed for small animals that spend most, if not all, of their lives outside. However, when weather conditions result in extremely cold temperatures, these houses and shelters offer little protection. This means that owners are often required to make other arrangements for their small animals such as bringing them indoors and placing them in uncomfortably small crates. This is not only troublesome for the owners, but also disruptive to the normal habits of the animal, entailing distressful and unhealthy conditions for the animals. When cold conditions persist for a long period, the quality of life of both animal and owner is severely diminished.
Heating devices have been developed for keeping small animals warm, but these have focused on indoor pets. For example, there are known in the art birdcage heaters, small animal incubators, and indoor basking beds. There are heating pads for animals to lay on, but these are also intended principally for indoor use and would provide minimal protection if used outdoors. One invention specifically intended for outdoor use is a climate-controlled doghouse with an installed heating and air conditioning unit. However, that construction is complex, expensive, and the heating and air conditioning unit cannot be used separable from the doghouse. There is also known a doghouse having an internally located heating element, but that device is unable of providing adequate heating during extremely cold conditions. Unlike houses where ductwork and air handlers may be installed between walls or in crawl or attic spaces, doghouses and the like lack similar structure for the installation or mounting of a forced air system.
The present invention is directed to a simple, safe heating device that addresses the problems described above. The heating device of the present invention is compact and easily installed or removed, simple and inexpensive, and durably formed for outside use.
One embodiment of the present invention is to provide a device for heating a small house, such as doghouses and the like, of the type used for sheltering small animals, and that is mounted on the exterior of the house. The device includes a heating element and fan mounted in a conduit and in electrical communication with an external electrical power supply. The conduit has an air intake end and air discharge end. The fan pulls return air from the enclosed space through the air intake of the housing where the air passes over the heating element and is heated to a desired temperature, then discharged to the enclosed space.
The conduit is desirably constructed like conventional rectangular ductwork, but may alternatively be round. The intake end of the conduit is adapted to be mounted about an opening formed in a wall or the roof of the enclosure and the discharge end is adapted to be mounted about another opening formed in a wall or the roof.
At least one heating element is mounted within the conduit. The heating element is desirably a resistance coil, but other resistive elements known in the art may be suitably configured and disposed within the housing. A heating element rated at about 400 watts provides an effective heat load to an average enclosed space of about 25 cubic feet. Heating elements of differing ratings may be combined with regulating devices to achieve a desired thermal output.
At least one fan is mounted within the conduit. The fan is desirably an axial fan, but other types of fans known in the art may be suitably configured and disposed within the housing. A fan rated at about 70 CFM provides an effective airflow to transfer the energy from a 400 watt heating element to the enclosed space. Fans of differing ratings may be combined with regulating devices to achieve a desired airflow.
As those knowledgeable of heat transfer will appreciate, the output of the heating element and fan may be increased or decreased as the surface area, insulation value of the enclosure, and the volume of the enclosed space, are increased or decreased.
The heating element and fan are electrically connected to an external electrical power source such as a standard 110-volt outlet. The connector may be a conventional power cord. Desirably, since the heating device of the present invention is intended for outdoor use, the connector is moistureproof and grounded. To protect the animal from electric shock, the connector may include a protective outer casing to prevent an animal from gnawing or chewing into the connector. The connector may further include a thermostatic controller that is either attached to the housing or placed in electrical communication with the external power supply.
In a second embodiment, the heating device is constructed for installation inside the small animal shelter. Mounting tabs or flanges are affixed or formed on the intake and discharge ends of the conduit for mounting the heating device on a wall or ceiling, thus positioning the heating device above and away from the animal. In all other respects, other than the installed location, this embodiment is functionally similar to the first embodiment.
These and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art after a reading of the following description of the preferred embodiments, when considered in conjunction with the drawings. It should be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed.